Soil acidity, characterized by aluminum toxicity and nutrient fixation, significantly limits food barley production in the Ethiopian highlands. This study evaluated the individual and combined effects of Biochar, wood ash, and lime on soil properties, barley yield, and economic returns in Legambo District. A field experiment was conducted using a 3 × 3 × 3 factorial arrangement in a randomized complete block design with three replications, testing Biochar (0, 5, 10 t ha⁻¹), wood ash (0, 0.2855, 0.571 t ha⁻¹), and lime (0, 5, 10 t ha⁻¹). The integrated application significantly improved soil fertility, raising pH from 5.2 to 6.8 and increasing available phosphorus by 204.6%. The highest gain yield (4.31244 t ha⁻¹) was achieved with the 10-0.571-10 treatment combination. However, partial budget analysis revealed that the 5-0.571-10 (t ha⁻¹) treatment provided the highest net benefit (368,668 ETB ha⁻¹). In contrast, the 0-0.571-10 (t ha- 1) interaction emerged as the most economically efficient option, boasting a remarkable marginal rate of return of 791.71%. Consequently, an integrated approach using Biochar levels with wood ash and lime is recommended as a sustainable strategy for regional food security and for soil fertility management.
In Ethiopia, the use of fertilizer is low due to high cost and limited availability, leading to low yields. Using organic amendment, such as biochar together with mineral fertilizers could be a more effective solution. A field experiment was conducted in clay‐textured soil with a slightly acidic pH of 5.82, located in southern Ethiopia to determine the effects of two different types of biochar, including coffee (Coffea Arabica) husk and maize (Zea mays L) straw biochars, at three application rates (0, 2.5, and 5 t per hectare) with and without mineral fertilizer on maize yields, nutrient uptake, and soil properties. The experimental design used was a randomized complete block design with 10 treatments and three replications. Three‐way analysis of variance was conducted to quantify the effects of biochar type, rate, and mineral fertilizer combinations on maize yields, nutrient uptake, and selected soil properties. Biochar application, alone or with fertilizer, improved maize yields, nutrient uptake (N and P), and soil properties (organic carbon, bulk density, and soil moisture content) significantly. Coffee husk biochar outperformed maize straw biochar by 44% in enhancing maize yield. Coffee husk biochar was also better in improving soil properties (4%, 5%, and 13% enhancement of organic carbon, soil moisture content, and soil bulk density, respectively, compared to maize straw biochar). Increasing the biochar application rate from 2.5 to 5 t ha−1 resulted in maize grain yield increase of 45.1%, irrespective of the biochar type. Combining coffee husk biochar at 5 t ha−1 with mineral fertilizer showed the best results in terms of nutrient uptake, maize yield, and soil improvement. This study suggests that using biochar from coffee husk and maize straw can boost maize productivity in similar environments by enhancing soil moisture and nutrient availability.
S. Raji, Werkinesh Kassa, Alemayehu Kiflu et al.· Vadose Zone Journal· 0 citations
Sustainable crop residue management in alkaline agroecosystems is challenging due to trade-offs among carbon stabilization, nutrient availability, and microbial activity. To identify an optimal upcycling strategy for compacted alkaline farmland, a two-year wheat–maize rotation experiment in the Yellow River floodplain compared four treatments: no organic amendment (CK), direct straw return (CS), straw-derived biochar (CB), and straw-derived synthetic humic acid (CH). Results showed that CH produced the most balanced improvements across all dimensions. Compared to CK (pH 8.62) and CB (pH 9.16), CH significantly reduced soil pH to 8.03, enhancing alkaline buffering. CH achieved the highest available phosphorus (2.36 mg kg−1), macroaggregate proportion (19.40%), and microbial biomass carbon (91.77 mg kg−1). Enhanced humification was evidenced by superior HA content (5.82 mg kg−1) and an HA/FA ratio of 1.90 in the 0–20 cm layer. Agronomically, CH achieved the highest annual grain production (ATGP, 12.11 × 103 kg ha−1, comprising 5.65 × 103 kg ha−1 for wheat and 6.46 × 103 kg ha−1 for maize) and maximum Integrated Sustainability Score (ISS = 1.000). These findings suggest that converting straw into synthetic humic acid effectively bridges the gap between unstable raw residues and inert biochar, serving as a promising alternative pathway for improving soil structure, nutrient availability, and productivity in compacted, alkaline floodplain farmland.
Biochar and poultry litter have been proposed as soil amendments to improve soil health in coarse-textured agricultural soils, yet their field performance under southeastern U.S. conditions remains inconclusive. This two-year field study evaluated five biochar application rates (0–44.8 Mg ha−1) combined with inorganic fertilizer or poultry litter on selected soil health indicators in a sandy loam Ultisol under sweet corn production in the Georgia Coastal Plain. Treatments were arranged in a randomized complete block design with four replications and analyzed using linear mixed-effects models. Biochar application did not significantly affect aggregate stability, pH, cation exchange capacity, soluble salts, organic matter, active carbon, or estimated nitrogen mineralization, with only a marginal three-way interaction observed for microbial respiration. Poultry litter significantly increased microbial respiration relative to inorganic fertilizer, whereas responses for the remaining soil health indicators were broadly similar between fertilizer sources. Year was the dominant source of variation, with extreme rainfall in 2024 reducing aggregate stability, soluble salts, microbial respiration, and nitrogen mineralization while increasing organic matter and active carbon. These findings indicate that short-term soil health responses were driven primarily by environmental conditions rather than management practices. Under the conditions of this study, either fertilizer source can be used successfully, whereas longer-term studies are needed to determine whether biochar aging enhances soil function in sandy loam Ultisols.
Emilio Suarez, Hayley Milner, J. C. Díaz Pérez et al.· AgriEngineering· 0 citations
ABSTRACT Soil acidity is a major constraint to barley production in the Southern Highlands of Ethiopia. An on-farm experiment was conducted during the 2020 and 2021 cropping seasons on strongly acidic Nitisols (pH 4.7) to evaluate the effects of integrated application of vermicompost (VC), inorganic nitrogen (N), and lime on soil chemical properties and barley productivity. Nine treatments, comprising a control, sole and combined applications of VC and N at different proportions, and integrated treatments with lime (3 t ha−1), were arranged in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Integrated application of VC, N, and lime significantly increased soil pH, available phosphorus, soil organic carbon, and total nitrogen while reducing exchangeable acidity compared with the control and sole nutrient applications. Grain yield and yield components were also significantly improved in both cropping seasons. The combined application of 50% VC + 50% N + 3 t ha−1 lime produced the greatest improvements in soil fertility and barley yield, indicating synergistic effects of integrating organic, inorganic, and liming materials for acidic soil management. The integrated application of 100 kg urea + 100 kg NPSB + 5 t vermicompost ha⁻¹ is recommended for farmers seeking to maximize barley productivity and overall profitability because it generated the highest grain yield and net benefit. However, for resource-constrained farmers with limited capital, the sole application of 100 kg urea ha⁻¹ is a practical alternative because it produced the highest marginal rate of return, indicating greater economic efficiency per unit of additional investment. Improved soil fertility and grain yield in the second cropping season demonstrated residual benefits of the integrated treatments. Overall, integrated use of vermicompost, nitrogen fertilizer, and lime was more effective than sole nutrient applications in improving soil fertility and sustaining barley production on acidic Nitisols.
Getahun Haile, M. Lemenih, G. Agegnehu· Communications in Soil Scien...· 0 citations
Sandy soils are characterized by low organic matter content, weak nutrient retention, and limited water-holding capacity, which restrict crop productivity in arid and semi-arid regions. This study evaluated the individual and combined effects of biochar, Azolla pinnata, and eggshell powder on soil properties and the productivity of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) grown in sandy soil. Field experiments were conducted during two consecutive growing seasons (2021–2022) at the Ismailia Agricultural Research Station, Egypt, using a randomized complete block design with eight treatments and three replicates. Soil chemical properties, photosynthetic pigments, vegetative growth, biomass accumulation, and yield parameters were evaluated. The combined application of biochar, Azolla, and eggshell powder significantly improved soil fertility compared with the control treatment. Soil organic matter increased to 0.70%, while available nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium reached 51.10, 6.67, and 200 mg kg⁻¹, respectively. The integrated treatment also enhanced chlorophyll content, plant growth, biomass production, and seed yield across both seasons. Correlation analysis indicated strong positive relationships between soil organic matter, nutrient availability, and crop productivity. These results demonstrate that the integrated application of biochar, Azolla pinnata, and eggshell powder can effectively improve soil fertility and enhance the productivity of Phaseolus vulgaris in sandy soil systems.
D. M. Khalifa, A. Alrashidi, Ammar Al-Farga et al.· Scientific Reports· 0 citations
This study explores the sustainable optimization of Valencia orange production in Egypt's arid regions by analyzing the dual effects of deficit irrigation and biochar soil conditioning. Multi-season field experiments demonstrated that Partial Root-zone Drying (PRD) combined with 1200 kg ha⁻¹ of biochar significantly enhances the vegetative growth, physiological traits, and final yield components of Valencia orange trees in degraded sandy soils. Severe water restriction (50% Full Irrigation [FI]) constrained canopy development and chlorophyll formation. In contrast, the PRD strategy produced superior growth responses, achieving an increased canopy volume of 4.1–4.3%, an expanded leaf area of 27.0–28.3 cm², and total chlorophyll levels up to 3.0 mg g⁻¹ F.W. The application of biochar showed a significant, dose-dependent improvement in soil water-holding capacity and nutrient retention. Under the optimal interaction treatment (PRD combined with 1200 kg ha⁻¹ biochar), the trees achieved peak agronomic performance. This synergistic combination maximized canopy volume increase to 5.5–5.8%, expanded leaf area to 37.9–40.1 cm², and elevated chlorophyll content to 3.7–4.0 mg g⁻¹ F.W. Furthermore, this treatment upgraded fruit development and quality indices; fruit weight reached 231.4–240.6 g, total yield peaked at 48.5–50 ton ha⁻¹, TSS reached 13.7–14.2%, and Vitamin C maximized at 48.8–51.3 mg 100 mL⁻¹ juice, confirming that biochar effectively mitigates drought stress. Complementing these findings, the treatments were simulated using the SALTMED model software to evaluate its predictive fidelity under local Egyptian conditions. The software demonstrated exceptional accuracy, establishing a robust correlation between field-collected data and model-generated values. This alignment was statistically validated by an outstanding coefficient of determination (R² ranging from 96% to 98%). Consequently, the study strongly recommends utilizing SALTMED for managing fruit crops in Egypt to save time, labor, and costs, while providing reliable predictive data to optimize export and import operations for vital commodities like citrus.
Unknown authors· the future of agriculture· 0 citations